Determination of Carbohydrate Metabolism of Marine Bacteria.

growth medium. Growth was not appreciably affected by the detergents (0.0001 %) except for dodecyl and octadecyl sulfate, which showed some inhibition. It is apparent that enzymatic activity decreases as the number of carbons in the alkyl chain is increased. Equivalent concentrations are without effect on preformed penicillinase. However, the same pattern of inhibition occurred when the detergent concentration was increased 100-fold (0.01 %). The effect of alkyl sulfates on penicillinase induction was tested. The cells used for induction were grown in Trypticase Soy Broth (BBL) containing these detergents. A similar pattern of inhibition occurred (Fig. 1). Penicillinase induction was markedly inhibited if not stopped completely with the C12, C14, and C17 compounds. The inhibition of preformed penicillinase by high concentrations of detergent is most likely due to the well-known protein-denaturing property of synthetic detergents. However, at the lower concentrations, which were used in the growth medium, the mode of action of surfaceactive agents is unknown. Although growth was not significantly affected when the detergents were present in the media at low concentrations, it is possible that other biosynthetic properties not essential for growth were also inhibited. The decrease in penicillinase synthesis that occurs with the use of alkyl sulfates having an increasing number of carbons is in accord with Steinhardt's (J. Res. Natl. Bur. Std. 28:293, 1942) conclusion that there is an increase in anion affinity with the rise in chain length within a homologous series of anionic detergents.